Karnataka has added 5,729 acres to its forest area by notifying them as reserve forests, in contrast to the national trend of diverting forest land for non-forest use. This is the first time in recent years that such a feat has been accomplished, and it is attributed to the new administrative setup. The aim is to protect the state's existing forest cover, increase it to over 30%, and address issues such as climate change and human-animal conflicts. The forest minister has kickstarted the process by notifying 261 acres of land as reserve forest in his home district.https://ift.tt/x2y1zSs